Thanks, Sophy and Bollywooddeewana – yes, it is an awesome clip, and too funny! I picked up Mahabharat (1965) when I saw it in the “discount bin” because I’ve known it for a while as a Padmini starrer (in addition to starring Pradeep Kumar and obviously having a Helen appearance too)… I don’t know if this looks as good as the Tamil devotional films that I’ve seen, but still, I think it will be…an experience. :)

By the way, it seems that almost every film I’ve been buying or watching lately has starred Pradeep Kumar. I don’t ever get the films for Pradeep Kumar, but there he is, again and again! :)

This is a scene from the Maya Bazaar in which there is a magic box. Krishna gives it to different people and they see what they want to see in it. I think Pradeep Kumar is Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna, who is in love with Shashirekha the daughter of Balarama. I haven’t seen this particular version of Mahabharata and have never seen a film of Pradeep Kumar. You are very lucky to be finding this films near you. I wish.

Thank you, Hema, regarding the comment about my luck. A few years ago and sometime afterwards, that was why I loved the area where I live. But I have had very bad luck otherwise in my home town, New York City, in the past couple of years, and am more desperately thinking about seeking refuge elsewhere. (I think one reason I love the bleakest portraits of Bombay by Raj Kapoor and Guru Dutt is that they seem to hold up such an interesting mirror to this rough life in New York!) But even if I leave these parts, I’ll know to come back to Jackson Heights every so often to buy my DVDs.

Oh Maya Bazaar–thanks Hema. The original in Telugu is a classic. I’m sure you(Richard) know about it though. It’s also very funny and some of the special effects are quite good.

Richard, I’ve had a lot of change in recent times too and that is also how I got into Bollywood–looking for a new set of things to like, new values, a new life–possibly in India–and wondering how I might like it.

Padmini as Draupadi?
Does she get to dance at all then?
Pradeep Kumar is surely Arjuna here. And according to IMDB Raaj Kumar plays Abhimanyu in Maya Bazaar, but it is naturally quite possible that they are, as often, wrong again! ;-)

I have never seen Maya Bazaar and I don’t know the cast to that one. I assumed that Hema was saying that the scene was taken by, or influenced by, Maya Bazaar? I know this scene only as being from Mahabharat (1965), since that is the DVD that I have.

My obsession with Bollywood, etc., was actually greatly facilitated by my living near Jackson Heights, so I don’t know if I could connect it to the changes that would involve my leaving New York. However, my great interest in [B][K][T][M][L]ollywood was a big turning point for me in terms of my tastes and interests, and I don’t think there will ever be any turning back. :)

Mister Naidu, thank you for telling me that it is a common error, so that I don’t have to feel so embarrassed.

Believe it or not, my glasses had been broken right before I watched this movie and this clip (in an unfortunate incident that we need not get into), and I did not replace them for a couple of days, so I was looking at everything with an increased level of nearsightedness. Yes, that would explain it! :)

Richard, even Jerry Pinto (author of Helen’s book “The Life and Times of an H-Bomb”) made that mistake. He wrote that Helen did a Holi song in Biradari. Wow, I had never seen Helen in a Holi song. I dug up the DVD and sure enough it was Madhumati! So, you don’t have to blame it all on the glasses. :)

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